DeMint: Republicans Can Unite Around Conservative Ideas

Republicans "can unite the country around conservative ideas," like the ones in 2010 that led to overwhelming midterm gains, Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint said.

"The only elections the Republicans have won in over a decade have been when they ran on conservative ideas," DeMint told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday.

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Conservative principles were not political theories, he said, but were ideas to make the lives of people better. He said many Americans were "concerned about the direction of the country," and suggested many young Americans didn't believe "the American dream is attainable anymore."

Big government approaches do not work, and only helped "big guys, the big banks, the big unions," DeMint argued. He said anyone who claimed government helped the little guy, was "frankly, not telling the truth."

DeMint said America's strength "comes from the ground up, not the top down," and suggested Republicans could benefit when Americans embraced basic ideals.

"I believe we can unite, not just the Republican Party, that's not my job. But, I think we can unite the American people around a core set of ideas. And, the politics will follow," he said.

DeMint, who is also a former Republican Senator from South Carolina, published a book, "Falling in Love with America." He said it presented a series of examples of "individuals and families and things that really happen and work in the community."